By: Sean Crose
27-year-old young middleweight contender Tim Tszyu is focusing on his planned January game against undisputed middleweight champion Jermell Charlo. Speak through FightHub , Aussie 21-0 was cool but confident as he prepared to head to the US to get ready for what is clearly the biggest game of his career. “I just go after the big fights,” he says of his future plans, “that you wake up in the morning and it’s worth living.” Recently life has been quite good for the son of the famous ring warrior Kostya Tszyu. Along with lining up to face one of the more notable names in the sport, he’ll also get all the attention that comes with the challenge.
“I’m not just up against world champions,” he said, full of ambition, “I’m taking on the best in the league.” The boxer makes it clear that he is entering his duel with the supremely talented Charlo with the laser as the focal point. “Right now, all I’m thinking about is the undisputed world championship,” he said. Sure, a win over undefeated Charlo would certainly put Tszyu in the spotlight, which is what the man wanted. “Four belts,” he said, “it doesn’t get any better.”
For his approach, Tszyu was direct and to the point. “Just try…just try your best,” he says of his training mentality. “I’ll do it all for the people, no Plan B, just all-in.” However, if there’s someone Tszyu might want a Plan B with, it could be Charlo 25-1-1. In the end, Tszyu had to leave the field to beat Terrell Gausha on his US debut earlier this year. Tszyu, however, is nothing without self-assurance. “I’m not going to sit idly by and do nothing for the next 100 days,” he said. “My thing is to feel good, train hard and everything else will work itself out.”
Of course modern fighters – at least most common ones – don’t fight as much as they used to. Tszyu hasn’t fought since he beat Gausha in March. For Charlo, his last match was in May when he knocked out Bryan Castano in their rematch in 2021. When asked about how busy Charlo is in the fashion world, Tszyu chose to avoid throwing cheap photos. “Let him do whatever he wants to do,” he said. However, when asked where his own runway is, Tszyu replied without hesitation: “Uphill.”
